Sunday, August 18, 2013

Today, David Miranda, the partner of the Guardian journalist (Glenn Greenwald) who has been writing about the illegal activities of the NSA -in cahoots with other government agencies and governments- has been detained for almost 9 hours by the British authorities while he was transiting through the London Heathrow airport.

Apparently, David's electronics (laptop, mobile phone, camera, memory sticks, DVDs, and game consoles) have been 'confiscated' by British authorities without any legal recourse.

If this is not an abusive act of a 'free' government I do not know what abusive acts are. How else can we describe these and other similar actions of the British government but dictatorial? It was not a random act and it was not a matter of miscommunication, that is for sure.

We have totally lost our democratic ways when journalists who expose government abuses get frisked, detained, and have their property stolen while transiting through 'friendly' countries (and serve as tacit crime partners).

Apparently, ANYTHING can be labeled as terrorism. Even writing against fragrant government illegalities can be seen as a terrorist act.

We urgently need an international agency or body to protect us from individual country abuses when they arbitrarily define what terrorist threats and acts are.

Thursday, August 1, 2013

I am elated that Putin has allowed Edward Snowden to chill out in Russia for at least 1 year. Russia is not the one of the best of the countries in the world but in this case is the best outcome for Snowden.

The US government is over-reaching in this case, and behaves like a bully.

Russia shows maturity and strength while the US shows that it is just a crybaby when it cannot get what it 'demands'. Yes, the US actually demanded that Snowden be turned back and that has not happened... Thank you, Mr. Putin.

Deal with it, Mr. Obama. Democracy may not be symmetric but it is beautiful when it reaches all corners of the globe.